Unforgotten Memories
by DreamingOfOceans
Summary: Katsumi Sohma has been rejected by her mother, separated from her brother, and has been forced to stay behind the walls of the Sohma Estate for years. Thanks to some old friends, she gets the chance to escape and live a happier life. But will it continue to stay that way, or could it take a turn for the worst?
1. Chapter 1: Chances

**Unforgotten Memories**

**Chapter 1: Chances **

I sat on the front porch of Hatori's office, tossing handfuls of bird seed onto the ground where the little birds hopped and chirped. I sighed and dusted the remaining seeds off my hands and leaned back against the sliding door, looking up at the bright blue sky.

"Hatori, why won't Akito let me leave the Sohma house?" I asked. I spent most of my time with Hatori, when I'm not with Akito. He was kind enough for me to live in his house too. He's like a second father to me.

"Maybe you are just special to him." He replied. It was clear that he was trying to focus on his work.

"But why am I special?" I pressed on. "Ever since I came back, he's been acting like an overprotective boyfriend. It's creepy."

"Well he does seem to like you a lot." I pretended to gag and Hatori laughed. I liked it when he laughed, and it seems like I am the only person that can make him. Ever since Kana left, he's been so serious. He was serious before, but this time it was different, kind of like depression. I remember the first time I had made Hatori laugh, it felt like the whole room instantly got brighter and happier.

"I just wish I could get out, you know? Get out from behind these walls and gates." I said while standing up and walking back indoors. Hatori straightened a pile of papers on his desk and adjusted the picture of Kana on his shelf.

"This might be a bit of a stretch, but tomorrow, Akito, Shigure, and I are taking Hatsuharu and Momiji to enroll in high school. Maybe he would allow you to come along?" He suggested. I thought about it for a few seconds.

_Maybe since Akito himself is going, then I can go too. Then he wouldn't have to be worried about me leaving any time soon...but there again, I don't know if he trusts me just yet. I have tried to get out before..._

"You really think so?" I asked finally.

"I think it's worth a shot. You're fifteen, maybe he would think you are more responsible. I would go now though, we have to leave early tomorrow."

"Okay." I turned and started to walk to the door, then quickly turned around again. "Hatori?"

"Hmmm?" He replied, not looking up from his work.

"Thanks." I said kindly. He lifted his head a little and looked at me from the corner of his visible eye and smiled.

I quickly walked toward the building where Akito was, starting to have second thoughts about the whole thing.

_What if he got angry? Things could turn out bad._

But I fought against those thoughts and kept walking. I wanted to get out of here. I wanted at least a small taste of freedom.

I finally got to the building, going inside and heading straight toward Akito's room. I stood in front of his door, running my hand through my caramel colored hair and examining the jet black ends. Finally after a few minutes of standing there and thinking about the whole situation, I knocked quietly on the door. Then I opened it and went inside, closing the door gently behind me.

"Katsumi..." Akito's low, cold voice greeted me. He was perched up in a window, a small white dove resting on his index finger. He didn't even turn around to see if it actually was me. It was like he had eyes on the back of his head.

"Hello Akito." I said quickly, lowering myself onto my knees and bowing my head.

"What has kept you? I haven't seen you since early this morning." He said slowly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know that you needed-"

"You want something." He said sharply, cutting me off. I gazed up at him, startled.

"Well, yes. You see, I heard that you, Shigure, and Hatori were taking Momiji and Hatsuharu to school tomorrow, and I was just wondering...if maybe...I could go too?" I bit my lip nervously waiting for his answer. He gracefully stepped down from the window and walked slowly over to me, stopping about a couple yards in front.

"Hmm...I had a feeling that Hatori would tell you. And then that you would come to ask to tag along..." He said with a smirk. His voice was starting to sound more dangerous by the second.

"It's nothing permanent, I just want-" he cut me off again.

"There is a difference between want and need. Honestly, I don't see a reason why you need to leave here. It might just cause more problems. You need to stop dwelling on your silly little dreams and focus on reality." He said coldly, looking down on me.

"I'm not!" I pleaded.

"Then why even ask in the first place? It's _obvious_ you hate it here. You just want to see that pathetic little brother of yours again." He smirked.

"He's not pathetic!" I said, the pitch in my voice rising.

"He's an outsider, a fool. Even his own mother didn't want him. Honestly, Alaina, how could you love a burden like him?" I clenched my fists and gritted my teeth.

"Stop!" I screamed, "Just stop it!" Akito smirked at me.

_How could he say such hateful things? About my brother...and then calling me that awful name. I hate it. _

Akito walked closer to me, taking his index finger and lifting up my chin so my eyes met his. He smirked again.

"See what you made me do?"

I knew exactly what he was thinking. Normally, my eyes are deep purple color, but whenever I get upset they turn gold, like cat eyes. I guess it has something to do with the zodiac curse.

Akito pulled back his hand and started to head back over to his window.

"Akito...please...just one time. I promise never to ask again. I'll stay here, forever. If you just let me go."

He stood there for a few seconds before turning around again, staring into my eyes.

"Very well. But don't come crying to me when it's not what you expected." I nodded quickly, standing up and straightening my shorts.

"Now leave, I've got some important business to attend to."

I hurried out the door and closed it behind me. Then I smiled to myself. This would be the first time in three years that I am able to leave Sohma Estate.

* * *

"Katsumi! Katsumi!" The little blonde boy said, jumping up and down in front of me. "Do you get to come with us too? Do you? Do you?"

"Momiji, let her breathe." Hatsuharu said calmly, placing a hand on Momiji's head.

"Oh sorry, I'm just excited!" He said.

"Yes I do." I said with a smile. His face lit up.

"Yay! Kyo and Yuki will be so happy! And you'll get to meet Tohru!"

_I didn't think about that before. This will also be the first time in three years that I will be seeing Kyo and Yuki again. I haven't seen them since training. And this Tohru girl, could she be the one everyone has been talking about recently? _

"Alright everyone. Lets get going." Shigure announced, interrupting my thoughts. Akito made his way down the front steps of the main building. He gave me a sinister smile, then got into the passenger side of the car. The rest of us piled in and headed for the school.

The whole way there Momiji blabbed on and on about how excited he was. To be honest, I was extremely jealous of Momiji and Haru. They get to leave the estate every day and go to school while I have to be stuck behind the walls and be homeschooled.

The car finally pulled into the driveway and stopped in front of the school. When Akito got out of the car, it felt like the whole atmosphere suddenly went cold and gloomy. The six of us headed inside for the entrance ceremony. It was very long and boring. I felt like falling asleep, but I kept catching Akito looking at me so I sat up straighter and tried to stay awake as best as I could.

Finally it was over and we said goodbye to Momiji and Haru and they took off to go find their classes. We were heading toward the exit when I thought I saw a flash of familiar bright orange hair.

"Um I have to go to the bathroom." I said suddenly, thinking over about how awkward that must have sounded.

"Alright, let's go." Akito said stepping forward toward me. I raised an eyebrow.

"You're not going to go in with me, are you?" I said. He narrowed his eyes.

"Akito, I'm sure she'll be fine. She's responsible." Hatori said, giving me a wink. Akito finally agreed, and I broke away from them, dodging all people in my way, especially the boys, and followed the orange-haired person's path. I quickly turned the corner and sure enough, there was Momiji, Haru, Yuki, Kyo, and a girl with long brown hair and blue-green eyes, who I guessed to be the famous Tohru.

Momiji was the first to see me and he waved.

"Katsumi! You're still here!" He shouted cheerfully. The others began to turn around.

"Oh!" The girl said, then gave me a huge smile.

"Wow, it's been a while." Yuki said in a kind voice and smiled at me, then he turned to the girl. "Miss Honda, this is Katsumi Sohma. Katsumi, this is Miss Tohru Honda."

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you, Tohru." I said kindly.

"Oh no! The pleasure is all mine!" She said with a bow.

"Katsumi is part of the Chinese zodiac too!" Momiji said while rocking on his feet.

"Really? This is exciting!" Tohru exclaimed.

_I think she is overreacting a little..._

"Oh, there you are Katsumi. Akito has been getting impatient and he sent me to get you." Shigure said, standing by the corner. My smile fell.

"I didn't mean to make him worry."

_I could honestly care less..._

"You mean, Akito is here at the school?" Yuki asked, fear flashing in his eyes.

"Uh-huh." Momiji said quietly. "He came to the entrance ceremony for Hatsuharu and I." Yuki tensed up at once.

"Anyway, we really need to get going. Akito won't want to wait any longer." Shigure said with an apologetic smile, and started to walk away. Disappointed, I turned and said goodbye to the others and followed Shigure around the corner. But something Yuki said next caught my attention.

"How did she finally convince Akito to let her out of that house?" He asked.

"I heard she had to beg." Momiji said quietly.

"It's sick, isn't it? Having to beg to leave someplace where you have been forced to stay for years. It just shows how messed up Akito really is." Hatsuharu said.

"So, Katsumi isn't allowed to leave Sohma house?" I heard Tohru's voice ask.

"Not usually. I was surprised to see her here today." Yuki replied. "You could have at least said hello, Kyo."

"I didn't know what to say!" Kyo hissed.

"You don't know what to say to someone that you haven't seen in years and who used to be your best friend?" Yuki said, raising an eyebrow.

"That was a long time ago...I'm surprised she even remembers us." Kyo muttered.

"She still had on that stupid little bracelet that you made her years ago to match yours."

I looked down at the black and white handmade beaded bracelet that Kyo had made me when we were eight.

"Katsumi, really, Akito is going to get angry." Shigure whispered in front of me, pulling me back into reality.

"Do I have to go back?" I asked, looking down at the floor. He sighed.

"I know, but for right now, yes." He said, putting a hand on my shoulder and walking me out of the building.

Akito was already in the car when we got there and didn't even say a word about taking so long. He just sat and stared out the window the whole ride home.

Once we got back to the estate, I hopped out of the car and immediately started walking toward Hatori's house.

"Hey can you run an errand for me?" Hatori asked as soon as he stepped into the house.

"Yeah, sure." I replied. He handed me a small package and told me that it needed to go to the main house for Akito. I started to walk to the main house, taking as much time as I could. I knew that Akito doesn't like to be disturbed this late, so I would have to track down a nurse and give it to them.

I got inside the house, found one of Akito's nurses, and told them that it was from Hatori for Akito. They thanked me, and I started to head back to Hatori's.

_I wonder why Hatori didn't give the package to Akito while he was in the car. He had to have had it with him then..._

I grabbed the side of the sliding door and slid it open, closing it behind me and turning on the light.

As soon as I turned the light on, I was greeted by a pile of bags full of random stuff._ My stuff_.

"Hatori? What is going on here?" I called down the hall. He came out of the room that he had let me stay in with two more bags of my things.

"I'm helping get out of this madness." He said. "Don't ask questions, just grab your coat and some bags and lets go."

I did what I was told and he turned out the lights and lead me out onto the porch. The sun was starting to set already. I was completely confused at what caused Hatori to act on this so quickly and out of the blue.

"Ok, we are going to have to move fast if we want to make it there by the time it is completely dark." He said guiding me along the walls toward the entrance gate.

"Make it where?" I whispered.

"What did I say about questions?" He said back.

"Right."

We got through the gate without a problem and continued walking down the road. It was too risky to take the car.

It felt like we had been walking forever, leaving town and walking more through the woods. We came to this small opening in the woods, and Hatori pointed in the direction of a narrow path twisting its way around the trees.

"That's the way to Shigure's, you will live there from now on." Hatori said, almost sounding a bit sad. My mind was still jumbled from everything that was happening so I wasn't sure what to do. I just did the first thing that came to mind.

I quickly walked up to Hatori and gave him a hug.

"Thank you." I said quietly.

"You better hurry, it will be getting darker soon." He said, scratching the back of his neck. I smiled and let go of him and backed away toward the path to Shigure's house.

"Will I still see you?" I asked, feeling a little choked up, but not wanting to cry in front of him.

"From time to time. I'll be down to check on everyone to see how things are going."

"But, Akito...he'll find out I'm gone, and he will suspect you..."

"Don't worry about that. I'll take care of everything, I promise." He said with a smile. I nodded and began to turn to face the path.

"Oh, and Katsumi?" I heard his voice ask. I turned back around. "Thanks for the laughs."

_Oh gosh...now I'm going to start bawling..._

I tried to hold myself together as best as I could, but I ended up running to Hatori again to give him another hug. I heard him laugh.

"Oh, and the orphanage is right on the outside of town, on the right side of the path we walked down." He said quietly. I gazed up at him wide-eyed.

_My brother..._

"Thank you." I said again, letting go of him once more.

"No problem." He said with a small smile. "Now go."

I turned and walked to the beginning of the path, only turning around one more time to give Hatori one final goodbye wave, then started down the long path to Shigure's house.

This was it. I was free.

* * *

~Author's Note~

Thanks for reading my first chapter of my Fruits Basket fanfic! I love this anime a lot, so I knew I had to write one for it. Katsumi's past is a little confusing right now, but I will make sure it is explained better in future chapters, and the reason why she hates being called Alaina. But again, thanks for reading and please review! I want to know what you think about it :)

~DreamingOfOceans (Kara)


	2. Chapter 2: Remembering

**Unforgotten Memories**

**Chapter 2: Remembering **

"Sissy!" My small little brother said, running to catch up with me. He held a small bunch of flowers in his little fists, flowers that we had picked for our mother.

"C'mon Hajime! We need to get home so we can give these to Mama!" I called over my shoulder. I held my own bunch of flowers in my hands, thinking about how happy Mama would be when she saw the flowers we picked her.

Mama hasn't been very happy recently, at least, not around Hajime and I. She yells a lot and throws things. We get really scared and Daddy tells us we need to stay in our room so we don't get hurt.

Daddy told us that Mama is sick, and sometimes she says somethings she doesn't mean, but it sounds like she means it.

I remember when Hajime was born, Mama didn't even want to look at him or hold him. I didn't understand. Mama held me when I was born, at least that's what Daddy told me. He said that she was so happy and didn't want to let me go. And then Daddy held me, and I turned. He said that Mama was a little surprised, and kind of nervous. But I knew she was scared.

After that, she never held me again. Daddy tried to, but whenever he did I would just turn again, but he held me anyway. He told me that he would love me no matter what happens.

And when Hajime was born, I guess Mama thought that he would turn into an animal too, so she never held him. She never gave him a chance. She just rejected him like she did me, even though he isn't a part of the zodiac.

Hajime and I finally got to the front steps of our house. I adjusted my deep purple dress, I usually wore dresses back then, and quietly opened the door and headed inside, making sure not to make too much noise.

We tiptoed around the house to Mama and Daddy's room and quietly opened the door. Mama was in there, sitting up in the bed. Her eyes were red, like she had been crying.

"Mama? We brought you flowers." I said, slowly walking toward her and placing my bunch on the bed beside her, then backing away. Hajime copied me, and stood at my side. Mama didn't say anything, she just stared ahead.

"Mama?" Hajime squeaked.

"You are not my children." She said, her voice cracking.

"But we are, it's Hajime and Alaina." I said. She cringed when I said our names, especially at mine. It was her middle name.

"No." She said plainly.

"Where's Daddy? He should be getting back from his trip soon, right?" I asked. My father was a little wary, leaving us alone by ourselves with Mama, since she wouldn't take care of us, but I assured him that I would take care of the both of us. And Mama, if I could. Mama let out a small gasp and started to cry.

"Mama?" I asked, coming closer to her.

"Get away from me!" She screamed, taking her hand and throwing the flowers off the bed and onto the floor in front of Hajime and I. Hajime started to sniffle.

"Mama, is Daddy ok?" I asked, still moving toward her. She gasped again, frantically kicking her feet so that she could move to the other side of the bed and away from me. Then she let out a small sob.

"He's dead!" She said hysterically. "C-car accident...he's gone!"

I stared up at her wide-eyed.

_If Daddy was dead, then that means Hajime and I would have to leave. Daddy was the only reason why we were still even here. _

"And it's all your fault!" She screamed, pointing at the two of us. I backed away from the bed and back over to Hajime, who now started to cry. "Get out! I never want to see you again! Ever! I just want you out of my life, forever!"

I grabbed Hajime's hand and drug him quickly out of the room. I went to our room, gathered our things and put them in bags.

We got away from the house as quickly as we could. I didn't know what to do next. I was only eight, and Hajime was four. Then I remembered something that Daddy told me to do if something ever bad happened.

He told me to go find the Master. He said that he would let me stay there and learn self defense. He said that he would take care of me and not care weather I changed into an animal or not. But he said that the place wasn't for Hajime yet. He said he didn't like the idea of separating us, but he thought it might help Hajime recover from everything he has been through. He said that there was an orphanage right on the outside of town, and that I am supposed to take Hajime there, then leave to find the master.

I took Hajime's hand and pulled him along quickly. It didn't take long for us to find the orphanage. I took Hajime up the steps and looked around quickly to see if anyone was watching.

"Hajime, you need to stay here. They will take care of you. I need to go someplace else." I said, tears starting to form in my eyes.

"What? You're leaving me?" He asked, wide-eyed, with a pained expression. I knelt down and looked him in the eyes. I wanted to hug him, but I knew if I did, then I would change.

"I have to, I need to find the Master, whoever that is...but it will be ok, you'll be safe here." I said, wiping my eyes.

"I'm going to be alone." He said, his bottom lip trembling.

"No, you'll make friends. And I promise I will come back. I promise!" I said, sniffling. Then I stood up and knocked on the door loudly, then hurried down the steps, turning around one last time to wave goodbye to my little brother, who I was pretty much abandoning. He waved back.

"I love you Hajime!" I said loud enough for him to hear.

"Love you too, Sissy." He said back. I hurried into the woods that surrounded a path leading from orphanage and hid behind a tree, watching to see if someone would answer the door. Finally, and older woman opened the door and welcomed Hajime inside. He looked one last time over his shoulder, then went inside.

I was heartbroken, knowing that it might be years before I could come back for Hajime. I turned, having absolutely no idea where I was supposed to go next, and started walking deep into the woods. Anger replaced my sadness.

_Why did she have to hate us? Why should it even matter what I am? And Hajime...he isn't even a part of the zodiac and she hates him too. And there's nothing even wrong with him. I don't understand how she could hate us so much. I hate her for hating me. And I'm supposed to live with her name...Alaina...I don't want that name anymore! _

Then it clicked.

"I'll just go by my middle name then. Katsumi, Katsumi Sohma." I said to myself with a small smile.

_That sounds better..._

"Hey, are you alright?" I heard a voice ask, interrupting my thoughts. I looked up from the ground to see a small boy with bright orange hair and a small frown on his face.

"Uh...um.." I managed to squeak out.

_I hope he didn't hear me talking to myself..._

"Well, are you or aren't you?" He said, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Oh, um yeah..."

"Are you sure? You seem confused." He said, tilting his head to one side.

"Well, I'm looking for someone...the Master?" I was never told what his actual name was, so I wasn't sure if the boy would know who I was talking about.

"You mean, my master? The one who teaches martial arts?" He asked. I looked at him wide-eyed.

"You know him?"

"Yeah, I live there with him." He said with a grin. "My master is the best."

"Can you take me to him? Please? It's important." I pleaded. The boy stood there for a couple seconds, then smiled a little.

"Ok, you seem pretty cool." He said stretching out his hand, revealing a black and white beaded bracelet. I took his hand and he guided me through the woods.

"So what's your name, anyway?" He asked curiously.

"Katsumi." I said happily.

"Cool, I'm Kyo. Are you a Sohma?"

"Uh-huh!"

"So...you know about the zodiac curse then."

_Could Kyo be a member of the zodiac too? _

"Yeah, I'm one of the cursed ones." I said in a low voice.

"So am I. What animal are you?"

"Tiger, you?"

"Ohhh that explains your hair, I didn't know if you dyed it or if it was because of the zodiac." I blushed a little, running my hand through my caramel colored hair, stopping to look at the black ends that represent the black stripes on a tiger. "And I'm the Cat." He said quietly, as though he were ashamed.

"Really? That's neat!" I beamed. He smiled a little.

Kyo led me through the rest of the woods and to a large building that must be where his master lived. He opened the door for me and led me to his master's room. I knocked quietly.

"Come in," I kind voice said.

"I'll wait out in the hall, okay?" Kyo said, and shut the door behind me. A man with gray hair, but still young looking, greeted me.

"You must be Tomoya's daughter. I am sorry for your loss." He said in a concerned voice. I nodded and looked at the floor.

"Will I ever be able to see my brother again?" I asked quickly. He offered me a small smile.

"In the future, but in the meantime, both of you need time to heal."

"I understand." I said quietly.

"But for now, I want you to go out and meet the rest of the students. I see you've already met Kyo, but I am sure you would like the others and they will like you too." He said with a smile. "Go meet them, and then we will talk about lessons."

It the next couple weeks I had become closer friends with Kyo, and met Yuki, who was the Rat, Hatsuharu the Cow zodiac, and Kagura the Boar. We had lunch together, practiced martial arts together, celebrated birthdays and other holidays together, like a real family.

I remember when I celebrated my first Christmas with them and Kyo came up to me with his hands behind his back.

"So, I made you something, but I'm no good at wrapping stuff so it isn't in a package." And he brought his hands forward revealing a homemade black and white beaded bracelet like his. "There, now you can have one like me!" Even though we both knew he wore his for a reason.

"Thanks, Kyo! I love it!" I exclaimed, and I haven't taken it off since.

The years passed and all of us became pretty good at martial arts so some of us decided to move on and go to the Sohma house. Everyone except Kyo. Ever since I knew him, he had had a huge grudge against Yuki, mainly because of the old zodiac story, so Kyo was determined to become stronger than Yuki and defeat him. But every time he tried, Yuki would always beat Kyo, and it just made him more angry. So when everyone left, Kyo stayed behind.

"Kyo, why don't you just forget about it? Come with us." I pleaded. I had spent five years training and I was now twelve years old along with Hatsuharu and both Yuki and Kyo were thirteen. Also, now that I was older, I switched out all my little dresses for shorts, tank tops, boots, and a large studded belt.

I didn't like the thought of leaving Kyo behind. We had become pretty close. To be honest I actually had a bit of a crush on him. I felt like I was abandoning him, just like I did to Hajime.

"No, I have to keep training. I have to if I ever want to beat that damn rat." He muttered. I sighed and gave him one last hug. I was happy I could hug Kyo without changing.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye, for a while anyway." I said quietly. He looked down at the ground, a little sad, but didn't say anything. "Goodbye Kyo."

And with that I left for the Sohma Estate. But I never knew that it would be the worst decision of my life.

I met a nice man named Hatori who let me stay at his house, and he ended up being like a second father to me. And I also met Momiji, who turned out to be a little younger than I was. There was also Akito, who scared me. He tortured Yuki so much that Yuki had to leave. Momiji, Hatsuharu, and Kagura all had their own business to attend to, so it felt like I was alone, except I always had Hatori to count on.

I spent three years there, stuck behind those walls, not allowed to step on the other side of them. Akito always made sure that I was being watched. I made the mistake of trying to escape once, and that didn't turn out well for me. Instead of staying at Hatori's, I had to stay in the same building as Akito for a week while he taunted me with unkind words and told me untrue stories about my brother and how he would just eventually forget about me. He knew that was my biggest fear.

And that is just how I lived for three years, until I got the chance to get away from all of it.

* * *

I shook my head, clearing my mind of all the memories of my past. I stood in front of Shigure's house, not exactly sure what to say once I got inside. I sighed and put my hand against the door, ready to open it. I took only last deep breath and slid open the door, light flooding out into the darkness of the night.

"Shigure? I'm here."

* * *

~Author's Note~

So this is a flashback of Katsumi's life, from the point she was born to her last year in the Sohma house before she gets to leave. I was going to put it later into the story, but I thought that it would help it make more sense if I put it in now. I hope you like it, it's a little sad, but it will be really important in the future chapters. Please review and tell me what you think about it! :)

Also, Hajime is pronounced Ha-jee-may (:

~Kara


	3. Chapter 3: Belonging

**Unforgotten Memories  
Chapter 3: Belonging**

I stepped slowly into the dark house, trying to avoid the creaking floor boards.

"Shigure?" I whispered again. It was extremely hard to see, and I accidentally got my foot hooked around the table leg, but I caught myself before I fell. I saw a small glow on the wall on the other side of the room and I squinted my eyes.

_It looks like it could be a candle..._

I finally made it to the other side without causing much of a disturbance, and I saw that a small bed had been made, right next to a flickering candle.

_Was this whole thing planned? And if so, for how long?_

"Oh, I see that you made it." I heard a voice say from the right side of the room. I looked up quickly, and there was Shigure leaning against the wall. "I'm sorry it's not the most comfortable. We are working on getting a room prepared for you. But of course, Yuki and Kyo don't know about this yet."

"Oh no, it's fine. Thank you." I said with a smile.

"Honestly, I didn't think that it would be that easy getting you out of there. But how does it feel to be free?"

"Awesome," I grinned. "Things have changed a little since I've seen them last, but I'll get used to it."

"Well it's certainly nice to have you back, Katsumi." He said with a wave of his hand. He turned to leave, but I hopped up quickly and grabbed his arm. "Hmm?"

"Shigure, Hatori and everyone else is going to be okay, right?" I asked, looking up at him.

"I'm not quite sure if I know what you mean." He said, giving me a confused look.

"Everyone who helped me escape...Akito could find out, and then you would all get hurt."

"It was a bit of a risk, but I am sure it's all going to work out well. Don't worry. Everything is going to be just fine." He said assuringly. "Now you better get to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be pretty exciting."

I nodded and went back to the little bed Shigure made for me and crawled under the covers .

"Night, Shigure." I said in a sleepy voice.

"Night." He replied. I heard his footsteps go down the hall and then disappear, leaving the house completely silent. I stared up at the ceiling wondering how Kyo and Yuki might react tomorrow when they see me. I smiled to myself and slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

I woke up the next morning to the sound of birds chirping and sizzling sound of bacon in a frying pan. I rolled over, my head covered by a blanket and stretched. I moved my hand up from under the blanket and pulled it off my head. I forced my eyes open, it took a while for the to adjust to the light, but when they did, I saw a girl with blue-green eyes right in front of me.

"Ahh!" I shouted, jumping back.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you! I just wasn't sure who you were." The girl said, bowing frantically.

"It's ok..." I said, standing up and adjusting my shirt.

"You're Katsumi, right? I met you yesterday." She said with a huge grin.

"Oh yeah...you're Tohru."

I thought she looked familiar. Even though I just met her yesterday, I had already forgotten because of everything that happened last night.

"Yep! That's right! And breakfast will be done any minute. I'll bring it out then."

"Do you need any help?"

"Oh no! I've got it! Besides, you just got here. You should take it easy." She smiled, quickly going back to the kitchen.

_She's awfully cheery..._

"Goooood morning, Katsumi!" Shigure sang as he came down the hall and plopped down on one side of the table. "Did you sleep alright?"

"Yes! Thank you." I smiled at him.

"And I heard you met Tohru again, she makes the best breakfasts ever. You'll love it."

I smiled and sat down at the table across from Shigure. I stared out at the front yard that was behind Shigure while he read his newspaper. Suddenly, he looked up and smiled.

"Oh! Yuki! Kyo! I'm glad you are finally awake." He beamed.

"Yeah well this guy kept me up all night with his snoring from the other room!" I heard Kyo's voice complain.

"I don't snore. It was probably you and you didn't even know it. That or you're just imagining it." Yuki's voice replied. I turned around to see the two of them in the archway.

"Oh really? Well I-" Kyo stopped in mid sentence, finally realizing that I was there. I offered his a small smile and wave. Yuki followed Kyo's gaze and grinned when he saw me.

"Katsumi? It's nice to see you again, but how...?" His gentle voice said.

"This isn't to be talked about to anyone else, but we snuck her out. She'll be staying here from now on and away from the Sohma estate." Shigure said, folding his paper.

"That's wonderful! Right...Kyo?" Yuki said, raising his eyebrow at the orange haired boy.

"Yeah." Kyo replied quietly.

"Oh! Good, you two are awake. And just in time for breakfast!" Tohru exclaimed, setting down multiple plates full of bacon, scrambled eggs, and pancakes. The other three sat down and we began to eat.

"This is delicious Tohru!" Shigure said happily, licking his lips. The rest of us agreed.

"Thanks! We ran out of eggs though, so I'll have to go pick some up later."

"I'll go with you if you don't mind, Miss Honda, there are a few groceries I would like to pick up as well." Yuki said politely.

"Sure! It will be fun!" Tohru exclaimed.

_Going to the grocery is fun? I always thought it would be a pain, the way Hatori made it sound._

"And Kyo, you and Katsumi could go get yourselves more clothes. If I remember right, you are in need of some more shirts after Kagura's last visit." Shigure said with a smirk. I laughed. Kagura always did have a huge crush on Kyo. Kyo apparently didn't find it as amusing as Shigure and I did.

"Yeah that crazy lunatic ruined most of my clothes!" He growled.

"Now Kyo, it isn't nice to call your future wife names." Shigure mocked.

"Shut up!"

_Kyo's temper...it sounds weird, but that was one of things I missed most while I was stuck at the Sohma house._

The five of us finished breakfast and I helped Tohru take care of the dishes. Soon after she and Yuki left for the grocery, leaving Kyo, Shigure, and I behind.

"Well you two better get going, too. I heard it was supposed to rain today." Shigure said, going down the hall to his room.

"Are you ready?" Kyo asked.

"Yep! And I've got an umbrella just in case too." I said with a smile. He looked at the floor and smiled.

"Well then let's go." He said, opening the door for me. I walked out, looking around at the yard and grinned.

"What's with the grin?" Kyo asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"It's just been a long time since I've done this."

"What? They have trees and shops inside the estate."

"Yeah, but not like this." I said, spinning in a circle.

"Ok, whatever you say, Mary Poppins."

Kyo and I continued on our way into town. There were multiple times when I would see a new building and ask him when it went up. It made me feel like I was so far behind everything that was happening.

Finally, we made it, passing many small stands giving out free stuff who came up to Kyo and I, welcoming us to try whatever they were selling.

"These people are all so nice." I said, finishing an ice cream cone that I had gotten from the second stand we visited.

"Well, yeah, they aren't going to threaten you to try their stuff." He replied with a smirk. I rolled my eyes playfully at him.

We made it to the clothing shop and went inside. Kyo and I separated going to different sides of the store. I quickly found a lot of things that I liked that fit me, including new jeans and shorts, two new tank tops, button-up plaid shirts, nicer long sleeved shirts, and a new pair of laced up boots that were on sale.

The woman at the counter also coaxed me into getting one of their newer floral dresses that I thought was cute, that came with a belt, hat, and boots. The dress might haven't been as necessary to buy right now, but you never know when you might have to dress more formally for something.

While I was waiting for the woman to ring up all my clothing, I looked around the store to try to find Kyo. I spotted him near a rack toward the front looking frustrated. After I had paid for everything, I took my bags and walked over to him.

"How's it going?" I asked, peeking at the clothes he was currently looking at.

"Good." He replied. He didn't have one thing in his hand.

"Here, I'll help." I said, turning and looking at the other racks full of men's clothing. Every once in a while I would find something and turn around to show him. Most of the time he approved, but there were a couple times he raised his eyebrows at me and smirked.

"What about this one?" He asked, turning around to show me. I tilted my head to one side to look at it better.

"Too loose." I said plainly.

"Too _loose_?" He said, confused.

"Do you want to look like a lump, Kyo?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. He laughed and hung the shirt back up.

Finally we had found Kyo a decent amount of clothes that he liked and that we thought would look good of him, and we went up to pay.

"These are good choices! It's cute watching couples help each other shop." The woman said. Kyo's face went red.

"Oh, we're not together, just friends." I said with a laugh.

_That was awkward..._

"Oh! I'm sorry! I just assumed..."

"It's okay." I said with a sweet smile.

We paid for the clothes and were about to leave the shop when it started to rain.

"Damn. It just couldn't have waited until we got home." He muttered.

"And I only brought one umbrella." I said, frowning.

"Well lets just use the one we've got and hurry home." I nodded and opened the umbrella, it was a little small so we had to huddle a bit, but we started down the sidewalk anyway.

We got through town, all the streets were abandoned now, and we had just got to the beginning of the woods when Kyo started to slow down.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked concerned.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Lets just hur-" and at that second, Kyo was swallowed by a puff of blue smoke.

"Kyo?!" I had forgotten that he can't handle the rain as well as others. I scooped up the small orange cat that took his place. "Here, I'll carry you the rest of the way."

"Thanks, and how come _you_ aren't affected by the rain? Tigers are technically a member of the cat family." He muttered.

"Yeah, but tigers love water." I said, which it was actually true.

I quickened my pace, carrying Kyo and his clothes with one arm and held umbrella and bags of clothes with the other. We finally got back to the house right when the rain finally stopped, and just in time for Kyo to change back.

"So, how did the shopping go?" Shigure asked after Kyo went to change.

"Good." I replied sitting down at the table to eat. Tohru already had it all laid out and everything. Yuki and Kyo came downstairs to eat and Tohru came from the kitchen carrying one last plate of food.

"Ah, another wonderful meal prepared by dear, sweet, Tohru. I can only imagine what it tastes like right now." Shigure said with a satisfied look. Tohru blushed.

"You don't have to do that for every meal, you know." Kyo grumbled.

"Just showing my appreciation, which _obviously_ you lack." Shigure shot back with a smirk.

"You know, whatever!"

After dinner, I helped Tohru with the dishes again, which she kept fretting over because she didn't want to _cause me any trouble._

Afterwards, both Yuki and Tohru went upstairs to get ready for bed and Shigure helped me lay out my bed again.

"Have you seen Kyo?" I asked curiously.

"I haven't, he might already be asleep." Shigure replied.

_I highly doubt that. Kyo never went to sleep when we were supposed to when we were younger._

I said good night to Shigure and he left for his room, but instead of going to my bed, I slid the front door open and backed up so I could see on top of the house. Sure enough, I saw Kyo's bright orange hair.

I looked around to see how he actually got up there. There was a ladder off the the right side of the house. I climbed up and walked carefully over to Kyo and sat down next to him.

"How'd you know where I was?" He asked.

"I've known you since we were kids. You always went up on the roof when you were thinking or pouting about something." I replied, playing with some of my hair.

"Yeah, I guess I was pretty easy to figure out then."

"Hmm..." I hummed, looking up at the stars. "There are so many of them."

"Yeah, there usually are a lot of stars." Kyo snorted. I smirked and shook my head.

"They just seem different out here. Brighter and prettier." I laid down on my back so i could look up at the rest of the stars. Kyo gave a short laugh.

"You're always so focused on the tiniest little things." He said, laying back too. I shrugged.

"Sometimes they're the most important."

"That sounds like something you would say." He said quietly. We stayed silent for a long time. The last time Kyo and I watched the stars together was three years ago, the night before I left to go to the Sohma house. But even when we were in separate places, whenever I watched the stars, I wondered if Kyo was too.

"I really missed you a lot, Kyo." I said quietly. He didn't respond right away. Then I heard him laugh.

"Yeah, I missed you too."

It had only been my first day of freedom, but so far, it had been the best day of my life. This was where I belonged.

* * *

~Author's Note~

Thanks for reading this chapter, and I will try to get the fourth one up soon! Also, I got a question asking why Akito was so protective of Katsumi. That will all be explained later ;) and I am basing this fanfic more off of the anime, so it might not have Rin or Kureno in it, but I'm not exactly sure yet. This also means that Akito is a boy :P  
Again, thanks for reading and please review! I want to know what you think!

~Kara


	4. Chapter 4: New

**Unforgotten Memories**

**Chapter 4: New**

"I wonder where Shigure has run off to..." Tohru thought out loud while chopping up some vegetables for dinner. I would offer to help, but I'm not quite sure how it would turn out then.

"Probably doing somehting stupid, like always." Kyo muttered, throwing away the empty milk carton that he just drained, and walking out of the kitchen. I was propped up on the counter watching Tohru as she carefully cut each piece carefully. Just then, we both heard the front door of the house slide open and the close quickly.

"Oh, it looks like he's back!" she said happily, scraping the vegetables into a bowl and placing the knife in the sink. I nodded and hopped down off the counter, walking down the hall and leaning against the door frame leading into the main room. Sure enough, there was Shigure, plopping down at the far side of the table, and then looking up at me and smiling. Kyo and Yuki were also seated at the table at opposite ends.

"Katsumi! Just the person I wanted to see!" He seemed excited, still looking at me with that goofy grin on his face.

"What about?" I asked, coming forward and sitting down at the table across from him.

"Well, I payed a little visit to the high school today..." He started. Both Yuki and Kyo looked up, exchanging glances with each other.

"Yeah?" I said, raising an eyebrow.

"And I had you enrolled there!" Shigure finished. I immediatley hopped up from the table, slamming both of my hands down on it.

"_What?!_" I said, maybe a little too dramatically.

"Oh, Katsumi will be coming with us to school?" Tohru said in a sing-song voice coming up from behind me, causing me to jump a little.

"Yep! Starting tomorrow!" Shigure beamed, seeming like he didn't even know what he was saying. I stared ahead with a blank expression.

"Katsumi? Is there something wrong?" Tohru asked, concerned. I quietly sat down and rested my head in my hands. "Oh...do you know what a school is? It's a place where you go to learn about different subjects, and-"

_Was she serious? _

"I know what a school is," I said a little harshly, "I just, I've always been homeschooled, and been around people who knew about the zodiac curse."

"I don't think there is anything to worry about. There have only been a couple incidents where one of us has transformed while we were at school. Luckily we were able to cover it up." Yuki assured me.

"Besides, I already got you this cute school uniform!" Shigure exclaimed, pulling out a white and blue miniskirt and jacket.

"That makes you sound like an old pervert." Kyo mumbled. I sighed and took the uniform from Shigure.

"Thanks."

* * *

I waited in the main room for the others, pulling a little on the bottom of the dark blue skirt.

_Why couldn't this thing be a little longer? _

"Ready to go?" Yuki asked, coming into the room.

"Yeah I guess." I shrugged. What else could I say?

"Don't worry, it really won't be that bad."

"I'm not worried." I lied. He smiled and shook his head.

"I forgot how persistant you were." I smirked a little, and just then, Tohru came down the stairs followed by Kyo.

"Well it looks like we're all ready!" Tohru said happily.

We left the house and started to walk down the pathway through the woods. It wasn't long until we had made it to the front of the school. Yuki lead us into the school which was packed with students.

As we walked down the hall, I noticed that a lot of students had stopped talking and focused on the four of us, and were moving out of the way for us to walk through.

"Why is everyone staring?" I asked Tohru quietly.

"Either it's because they have notice you are knew, or because of Yuki. He is sort of a prince around here." She replied with a smile.

_A prince?_

"Tohhruuu!" I heard a familiar voice yell. It was Momiji, running down the hall in a _girls _uniform, accompanied by Hatsuharu.

"Oh, Momiji!" Tohru exclaimed, suprised.

"Wha-why are you wearing a girls uniform you freak?" Kyo said loudly.

"Valid point, Kyo Sohma." An unfamiliar voice said behind us. It was a boy with black hair and glasses, accompanied by two other girls with glasses as well. "Even though I don't agree with that ridiculously orange head of yours, I am willing to look past it for now."

"I thought he learned his lesson the last time." Hatsuharu said with a sigh.

_Last time?_

"This is my natural hair color!" Kyo hissed. But the boy just crossed his arms across his chest. The boy suddenly started giving this speech about how Momiji should be dressing and that if he continued to dress like a girl it would be the ruin of his life, causing Momiji to start to cry. The bell had rung and the hallways were abandoned other than us.

"Honestly, real men don't dress like-" The boy started.

"Why don't you just shut up before you say something you regret." I said harshly. "You do you think you are?"

"I'm Motoko, the Student Council President." He said finally, after a few moments of silence.

"So since you are the president, you think you can just tell people how to look and how to dress? If that's the case, then what do you think of the _natural _black ends in my hair?"

"There is a dress code! And there is no way that the black is your natural color! The rest of your hair is caramel!" He spazzed.

"But it is, and so is Kyo's and Haru's! Besides, what if I were the Student Council president? What if I didn't like glasses, would you have to walk around blind as a bat or get contacts?" I asked stubbornly.

"Those aren't the same!" He pleaded.

"Oh really? Well it's natural that you can't see well. And this is my natural hair color. And I still don't think that you should be able to choose which uniform someone wears."

"Katsumi..." Yuki said quietly. I kept yelling.

"It's not like he's in a skirt or running around naked is he?!"

"Katsumi!" Yuki whispered again.

"_What?!_" I snapped at him. He pointed to one of his eyes. I looked up, catching a glimpse of my reflection in the windows behind Yuki and the others. My eyes had changed into their golden color instead of their usual purple. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm down. When I opened them again, they were back to deep purple.

"W-whatever...we need to get to class." I said finally, turning back around.

"Very well...just get there, okay." Motoko said, a little confused, then walked away.

"Um...what happened?" Tohru asked after a long moment of silence.

"Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry about it, okay?" I said quickly but in a kind tone.

"Oh, okay!"

Yuki cleared his throat and began to lead us down the hall again, finally stopping at one of the doors, and holding it open for us to go in.

"You're a little late don't you think? Class started five minutes ago." The supervisor said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, sorry about that. We were showing our cousin around, she's new here." Yuki said politely, nudging me toward the teacher's desk.

_Cousin?_

"Oh, well in that case, it's nice to meet you, umm...?"

"Katsumi Sohma." I said with a small curtsey. The teacher nodded with a smile.

"There's an empty seat back there, right next to Urami." I followed the teacher's finger with my eyes. First I looked at the seat that was now assigned to me, and then I looked at the girl in the desk next to mine; the girl who must be Urami. She wore a huge smile on her face and her dark brown eyes twinkled. Once I was closer to my desk, I could tell that she wasn't wearing the same girl's uniform like everyone elses. This one had more frills and bows, but it was the same dark blue and white. She moved her hand up, tucking one side of her short brown hair behind her ear, revealing a yellow duck earring. She looked really familiar, but I just couldn't place it.

"Hi!" She exclaimed in a sugary-sweet voice. "I'm Urami Rose!"

"Uh hi, I'm Katsumi."

"It's nice to meet you!" She sang. She was extreamly cheery. Sort of like a mix between Momiji and Tohru.

I nodded at her, offering a small smile and the teacher began the lesson. The morning seemed to fly by because before I knew it we were already heading to lunch.

"So you know that girl that I sit next to in class, Urami?" I said to Kyo and Yuki. "Does she seem familiar to you guys?"

"You know, know that I think about it, she did seem awfully familiar when I first saw her. But I'm not quite sure where I have seen her." Yuki said with a perplexed expression.

It was really bothering me not knowing who she was. I was positive I had seen and met her before, but everything was just foggy. I'm not really the type who forgets things, especially people, but I just couldn't figure this one out.

The rest of the day seemed to fly by just as the morning did, and we were packing up our things to head home.

"Bye! See ya tomorrow!" Urami grinned and skipped out of the room. For some reason, I stared at the door, expecting her to come back, but instead I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Kyo looking at the door.

"What were you looking at?" He asked, confused.

"Oh, nothing." I assured him, but it didn't seem to convince him.

"Whatever. But Tohru has to go to work and Yuki is staying after school for something, so I guess it's just us walking home today." He said with a shrug.

"Okay!" I threw my bag over my shoulder and we headed out of the school. There were still people who whispered and stared, but I tried my best to ignore it.

Kyo and I were almost out of town when I noticed a familiar brick building that seemed like it was five stories high.

"Kyo, what's that?" I asked curiously, pointing to the ivy covered building.

"Wow, you _really _were locked away for a long time. You're seriously not telling me you've forgotten what this place is, are you?" Kyo said with a laugh. I looked at him confused and then turned my attention back to the building, analyzing it carefully. I heard the sound of children laughing and screaming in the fenced in yard behind it. That's when it all clicked.

I gazed up at the building, looking at the worn front steps. The same steps I said goodbye to my brother on years ago.

"Kyo..." I said quietly, "we have to go in."

"Uhh..." He said, unsure. One of the curtains that covered the front windows drew back, and the face of an old lady was all that could be seen. She looked like she was glaring, not at me, but at Kyo. He shifted awkwardly and grabbed my wrist, trying to pull me away but I fought him.

"Come on, we really need to get back. Shigure will be worried." He said, his voice low.

"Shigure will be worried?" I repeated in a sarcastic tone. "I'm sure he'll be fine for five more minutes, just let me go."

"I, I can't! Let's just leave." He looked back to the window where the old lady was still standing, still glaring at him.

"What's her problem?" I said bitterly, trying to wrench my wrist out of his grip.

"We're not supposed to be here, Katsumi!" He pleaded.

"And why not? My brother's in there! Why aren't you letting me see him?"

"It's not my decision!" He whispered fiercely, trying to to get the attention of the kids behind the building.

"Then who's is it?!" I said in the same voice as his. He sighed and stopped trying to pull me away, but kept a firm grip on my wrist.

"Listen, I'll explain when we get back to the house. Just...come on." I stared up at him, and then back to the window at the old lady. Her attention now turned to me, but she had a softer expression on her face than when she was looking at Kyo.

"Okay, fine."

I let him drag me all the way back to the house. Neither of us said a word the whole way there. Once we stepped into the house I stopped him from escaping to his room and cornered him.

"Alright, now tell me everything. No lying." I said, folding my arms across my chest. He sighed and wouldn't look directly at me when he spoke.

"We aren't allowed there because the owner of the orphanage, that old lady in the window, didn't think it would be okay for Hajime to see you yet." He mumbled.

"Why, is he okay?" I asked, a little panicked.

"Physically, yes. But they think he went into a little bit of a depression after you left."

"I told him I would be coming back." I said quietly, looking at the floor. Kyo shrugged.

"The owner thought it would be for the best if Hajime had time to think about the situation..."

"He had time...years to think about it."

"Yeah, but they didn't know that you had escaped from the Estate. They wanted to tell him that too."

"I just want to see my brother again." I whispered, backing up to let him out of the corner. Just then, Shigure bounded into the room, happily.

"So, how was school, you two?" He said cheerfully.

"Just like any other day." Kyo muttered, acting like his normal self again.

"It was okay." I said, trying to do the same as Kyo.

"That's great!" Shigure beamed.

That night after dinner, I layed on my bed in my room that Shigure had arranged for me and stared up at the ceiling. There were two things that had been stuck in my mind after I had gotten home today.

One. How soon will I be able to see Hajime again? And two...who was Urami Rose?

* * *

~Author's Note~

Hey thanks for reading this chapter! Sorry it took a while to put up, and it is a little shorter than the others. But we got to see Katsumi's more tougher side and we were introduced to a new character! So, again, thanks for reading and please review! We want to know what you think! (:

~DreamingOfOceans


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